Slow-braised short rib tacos with pickled red onion

Melt-in-your-mouth slow-braised short ribs tacos with sour cream, guacamole, pickled red onions and fresh chillies is the perfect recipe for entertaining.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Beef tacos, Short rib tacos, Tacos

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 30

Servings

Calories 473kcal

Author Alida Ryder

Ingredients

1.5 kg (3lb) beef short ribs
2 red onions, quartered
5 peeled garlic cloves
1-2 jalapeno peppers
2 tbsp taco spice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1.5 liters (6 cups) beef stock

for the salsa roja

2 cups tomatoes roughly chopped
1 red onion quartered
1 jalapeno roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves peeled
3 tbsp cilantro/coriander
1-2 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

To serve

tortillas
pickled red onions
avocado slices
fresh chopped chillies
fresh coriander/cilantro

Instructions

Braise the beef

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels then season generously with salt and black pepper.
Preheat a large, deep braised or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat then add the ribs in batches, searing for a few minutes until brown on both sides. Allowing the beef to develop a deep brown crust will add incredible depth of flavor to the finished braised beef.
Add the remaining aromatics and spices then pour in the stock.
Close with a lid then place in the oven and allow to braise for 3 hours or until the short ribs are fall-apart tender. (The beef can be cooked in a slow cooker or Instant Pot until it shreds easily, too.)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before shredding the meat. Discard any excess fat and bones.

For the pickled onions

While the meat is braising, make the pickled onions according to recipe instructions.

For the salsa roja

Place the tomatoes, onions, jalapeño and garlic in a baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt. Place in the oven and allow to roast for 30-45 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the skin is blistered and slightly charred.
Remove from the oven, discard the jalapeño stems then transfer all the tomatoes, onions, etc to a blender or food processor with the coriander/cilantro and lime juice then blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more lime or salt.

Assemble the tacos

Heat tortillas over an open flame or in a hot pan.
Add a generous amount of short rib meat to each tortilla then top with avocado, a generous spoon of salsa roja and some pickled onions.
Serve immediately.

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